1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for cleaning an incubator, involving disinfecting the incubator, or at any rate the climatic chamber and/or removable parts present in it during the incubation process.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known from the prior art in the case of incubators to clean the latter after an incubation process and prior to a subsequent incubation process by means of, inter alia, a disinfection step. The incubator is generally first cleaned with water with or without the addition of chemicals, and is then disinfected by means of chemicals in a subsequent step. Prior to the disinfection by means of chemicals, and also often thereafter, the incubator, in particular the incubation chamber, is often then dried additionally with the aid of a fan. It is known that this cleaning is important in order to prevent cross-infections in the food chain. The fact is that the eggs and birds that have hatched from them in an earlier incubation process can be infected with bacteria, such as colis and salmonella, and without further cleaning steps will then pass on this infection also to a subsequent batch of eggs to be incubated and to the chicks to be hatched out from them. As will be clear, this must be avoided, which was the aim with the conventional method of cleaning incubators.
A disadvantage of the known, conventional method of cleaning incubators is, however, that the method of cleaning used does not satisfactorily reach all points in the incubator, or at any rate the incubating chamber. Cracks and scams are particularly difficult to clean thoroughly, so that there is a risk of infection sources remaining behind in them. A further disadvantage is that the chemicals used are harmful to the environment and also tend to attack the materials that are incorporated in the incubator.